POLITICAL RELATIONS
IRAQ
1. 41 Indians abducted in Iraq alive
New Delhi, Tuesday, 5 August 2014
The Centre said that it has “knocked on all the doors possible” seeking help to secure the release of 41 Indians, who were held captive by an “unidentified group” in strife-torn Iraq, and that all of them are “alive and well”.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

2. Narendra Modi voices concern over Iraq as US Defence Secretary meets him
New Delhi, Friday, 8 August 2014
Raising concern over deteriorating situation in Iraq, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he looked forward to his Summit meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss how India and the US can build a partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the world. Modi conveyed this to the visiting US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel.
Source: DNA, Mumbai

KUWAIT
3. Parkash Singh Badal urges Sushma Swaraj to ensure safety of Punjabis arrested in Kuwait
Monday, Sunday, 30 August 2014
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ensure safety of Punjabis arrested in Kuwait.
Source: DNA, Mumbai

LIBYA
4. 58 nurses on way back to India, Government again asks Indians to leave Libya
New Delhi, Friday, 1 August 2014
As 58 Indian nurses from Libya are on their way back home, the government made a fresh appeal to its citizens in Libya to leave the strife-torn nation in view of deterioration in situation with a promise to make all arrangements for evacuation.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

5. India helps in evacuation of 126 Nepalese nationals from Libya
New Delhi, Saturday, 16 August 2014
India facilitated the evacuation of 126 Nepalese nationals from Sirte area of strife-torn Libya. The assistance came after Nepalese embassy in Cairo made a request to the Indian mission in Tripoli seeking assistance.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

PALESTINE
6. India to provide US$ 1 million for aid to Gaza victims
New Delhi, Friday, 1 August 2014
India is planning to send US$1 million to a UN fund to provide aid to the suffering Palestinians fleeing the battle zone.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

7. Dialogue Only Viable Option to Resolve Gaza Crisis: India
United Nations, Thursday, 7 August 2014
India has said that the current crisis in Gaza can be resolved through a negotiated political settlement and dialogue remains the "only viable option" to effectively address issues confronting the region and its people.
Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai

8. Hope India will not change policy under Modi: Palestinian Envoy
New Delhi, Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Palestinian Ambassador Adli Shaban Hassan Sadeq voiced hope that there will be no change in India's policy on Israel-Palestine issue under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai

9. 'No Change in Palestine, Israel Policy'
New Delhi, Friday, 22 August 2014
Keen to reach out to the Arab world in the time of Gaza crisis External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that there was no change in India’s policy towards Palestine and Israel.
Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai

10. India-Arab bond important, extremism a cause of concern: Sushma Swaraj
New Delhi, Thursday, 21 August 2014
Addressing an event, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj talked about a range of issues relating to Gulf nations and said India was looking at investments from the sizeable Sovereign Wealth Funds in the oil-rich countries which can prove to be a "game-changer" in India's quest for world-class infrastructure.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi; See Also: The Hindu, Chennai

ECONOMIC RELATIONS
BAHRAIN
11. LIC International eyeing tie-up with financial institutions in Bahrain
Dubai, Wednesday, 13 August 2014
LIC (International) is in talks with Bahrain-based financial institutions to become a part of their distribution channel in the Gulf nation.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

EGYPT
12. Indian investments in Egypt exceed US$2.5 billion: Ambassador
Cairo, Tuesday, 12 August 2014
India's Ambassador to Egypt Naveen Suri said that the trade between India and Egypt has grown at an impressive rate during the last couple of years to US$ 4.34 billion in 2011-2012. India has now become Egypt's seventh largest trading partner and the value of Indian-owned facilities there exceeds US$ 2.5 billion, giving direct or indirect employment to at least 35,000 Egyptians.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

SAUDI ARABIA
13. Saudi agriculture show to have largest ever Indian participation
Riyadh, Monday, 25 August 2014
A total of 48 Indian companies attended the 33rd international agriculture, water and agro- industry trade show in Riyadh, stated to be the largest ever Indian participation in the event.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi; See Also: The Economic Times, New Delhi

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
EGYPT
14. Patriotic Fervour Grips Indians across Globe on I-Day
Cairo, Friday, 15 August 2014
India's Ambassador Navdeep Suri hoisted the tricolour in India House premises in Egypt. Stressing on bilateral relations, he said that India is one of the top ten trading partners of Egypt and there is an active economic cooperation between the two countries.
Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai

IRAN
15. Iran to cement academic ties with India
Vishakhapatnam, Saturday, 2 August 2014
Iran is focusing on strengthening its educational ties with India and would soon sign a MoU to further strengthen the relations, observed Hassan Nourian, Consul-General of Iran in Hyderabad.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

16. India's July Iran oil imports up 26 pct vs. June –trade
New Delhi, Friday, 8 August 2014
India's oil imports from Iran rose by about 26 per cent in July from June to 210,300 barrels per day (bpd).
Source: Reuters, UK

17. India extends export benefits to rupee trade with Iran
New Delhi, Sunday, 10 August 2014
It was stated that exports to Iran in Indian rupee also means entitlement for trade benefits that are available to exporters under the Foreign Trade Policy, 2009-14, at par with the exports realizing proceeds in freely convertible currencies.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

IRAQ
18. 145 workers hailing from Andhra Pradesh return from Iraq and Libya
New Delhi, Wednesday, 13 August 2014
About 145 workers belonging to Andhra Pradesh, who were employed in war-torn Iraq and Libya, returned to India.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

COMPILED BY MANJARI SINGH

Manjari Singh is a doctoral candidate in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy